History of Kali Puja

Kali Puja is one of the major festival for people in West Bengal and they celebrate the occasion with much gusto and enthusiasm. Just as people in North India light lamps to honor Lakshmi Ma during Lakshmi Puja, people in West Bengal celebrate Kali Puja by lighting lamps in honor of Goddess Kali. Houses are decorated and elaborate Rangoli pattern are drawn in front of houses and courtyard. Elaborate Kali Puja is carried out during the evening. As Goddess Kali is regarded as the Goddess to be feared Bengalis leave no stone unturned in carrying out a special Pooja for her. Through Puja people seek happiness, prosperity and protection against hardships.

The Kali Puja is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik. Kali Puja brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst the various cross sections of society. It is said that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep gave an order that everyone, in his domain should worship Kali. Punishment was given to the defaulters. Thus more than 10,000 images of Kali began to be worshipped in his domain. Before the present Kali Puja, Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times.

It is believed that the present form of the image of Kali, is due to a dream seen by Lord Chaitanya's contemporary Krishnananda Agambagish (a distinguished scholar of Indian charms), author of Tantric Saar, that he should make her image after the figure, he saw first in the morning. The image should then be worshipped. At dawn Krishnananda saw a dark complexioned housing maid with left hand protruding and making cow dung cakes with her right hand. Her body was shining with white dots. While wiping off the sweat from her forehead with left hand, the vermilion had been spread in her parted hair. The hair was disarranged. Her unprecedented coming face-to-face with Krishnananda, an elderly, made her bit her tongue with shame. This posture of the housemaid gave vent to his imagination which he later utilized to envisage the idol of Goddess Kali. Thus was formed the image of Kali.